International students celebrate uniquely American holiday

Published 6:00 pm, Sunday, November 30, 2008

The United States is not the only nation that celebrates Thanksgiving, but like many other festivals and cultural activities we do it much differently than anyone else.

Plainview has a small yet unique group of people who experience the holiday from a different perspective. They are Wayland Baptist University student athletes who are from other countries around the globe.

Sophomore Caroline Karunde, a distance runner for the Pioneer cross country and track teams, is from central Kenya and a town named Nyeri.

Karunde spent last Thanksgiving in Abilene with her sister, Winrose, who is an athlete at Abilene Christian University. But she admits she has not fully grasped all of the trappings surrounding an American Thanksgiving.

"I don't understand all of it, but I know they love to eat turkey," Karunde said with a smile.

Karunde and her teammate, Purity Biwott, are both experiencing the holiday in Altus, Okla., at the home of their coach, Brian Whitlock.

Whitlock is taking the Kenyans to his family's home to experience at least some of how he and his family have celebrated the holiday for years.